Saying he has lost all respect for his former ace, Rockies manager Jim Tracy unloaded on Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez on Sunday, calling his plunking of all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki "a gutless act."

Tracy demanded that Jimenez be suspended, saying the right-hander intentionally hit Tulowitzki on the first pitch of his first at-bat at Salt River Fields. Major League Baseball will investigate, with Jimenez possibly facing discipline. There was no TV broadcast of the game, but commissioner Bud Selig was in attendance and the Rockies will provide in-house video of the incident.

"It's the most gutless act I have seen in 35 years of professional baseball. I have lost all respect for him. He should be suspended. I am going to be very disappointed if he doesn't get suspended," Tracy said, his voice rising in anger in a profanity-laced tirade.

"Are you kidding me? Five days before opening day and you are going to take a potshot like that? I have lost all respect for him."

After walking Marco Scutaro on four pitches and striking out Tyler Colvin, Jimenez hit Tulowitzki with a fastball to the left elbow. Tulo is expected to miss a few days, and the Rockies won't know if Tulowitzki is in jeopardy of missing Friday's season opener in Houston until they see how he feels today.

While Jimenez insisted there was no intent to hit Tulo, Tracy put all the blame on Jimenez. Tracy cited Jimenez's recent comments in The Denver Post about being unhappy in Colorado last season because of lack of a contract extension and other issues he refused to discuss. Those words, combined with Jimenez's performance last season, clearly struck a raw nerve with Tracy, who implied for the first time that Jimenez didn't provide his best effort a year ago.

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"Knowing what I know, knowing what took place last year, and where this team was at going into the second month of the season and doing what we did (in April) and he was nowhere to be found. I have lost all respect for him," Tracy said.

"Look at where we were last spring. At what took place after the 2010 season and what we did in the beginning of the 2011 season without him. Waiting for him. Taking bullets for him. All the different things. And to pull that (expletive). As I have said, the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen since I started in professional baseball."

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